THE BOOOOJ
10 units on Ohio (-3) over Marshall
10 units on North Carolina (+2) over Pittsburgh
25 units on USC (-7) over Boston College
15 units on West Virginia (-4) over Seton Hall
HalfBets
Pizza Bowl
Ohio has been pretty impressive all year ending with a 9-4 record. Marshall enters the Bowl with a 6-6 record. Ohio is 5-1 on the road and Marshall is 2-4. How then is the line in this game only 3? You can maybe argue that Marshall has had Ohio number in the past but after seeing this Ohio team play this year, we think this line is a mistake. If its a sucker bet, then call us suckers. We are laying the points with Ohio
PICK: Ohio -3 Game (9*) Best Bet of the day
Car Care Bowl
PICK: North Carolina +1.5 Game (8*)
Emerald Bowl
PICK: UNDER 45 Game (4*)
PICK: USC -7 Game (7*)
Wayne Root
7*Marshall (+3) over Ohio U
6*North Carolina (+1½) over Pittsburgh
4*Boston College (+7) over USC
TEXAS SPORTS WIRE
6* Bowl GOY
North Carolina
Don Wallace Sports
Memphis +8
Oklahoma City -6
Matt Fargo
NBA SATURDAY *TRIPLE PLAY*
This game reminds me a lot of the Golden St./New Orleans game on Wednesday. New Jersey is horrible and currently playing some bad basketball so this is a good time to back the Nets. Just like taking the Warriors then, we are buying low tonight as this line is severely inflated yet the public is riding it out. There are a lot of +10.5 lines out there and just a week ago, the Nets were +12.5 against the Lakers and there is no way the Rockets are only two points worse than the Lakers. Houston is in a horrendous spot here as it is coming off a game in Orlando on Wednesday and has a game at Cleveland tomorrow. Despite losing to the Magic, I do not see the Rockets getting up for this one especially with the Cavaliers on deck. There certainly is not much good to say about New Jersey but winning in the NBA is about winning ugly and it does not get uglier than this. 8* New Jersey Nets
The wrong team is favored here or I should at least say that the Spurs should not be favored as this game should be in the pickem range. San Antonio was favored by eight points in the first meeting at home this season and the venue change should turn this one into a game right around even. Since that game, the Spurs have gone 9-5 while the Bucks have gone 4-11 so the teams have not been on equal ground but the schedule has had a lot to do with it. Also, Milwaukee has had some brutal losses as three of the last four defeats have come by three points or fewer including two one-point losses at home. You cannot ignore the fact that the Spurs are just 3-6 on the road which is a bad record and it also shows that only just over a third of the games have come away from home. The Spurs and the Lakers are the only two teams in the NBA to play fewer than 10 road games on the year. 8* Milwaukee Bucks
The thinking here will be that the Lakers bounce back from that huge loss against Cleveland on Christmas day but I think it is just the opposite. Obviously the Lakers are a great team but that defeat can linger as they were humbled pretty good and if anything, this will be a big letdown the day after. Add to that, Los Angeles is at Phoenix in two days. I played the Kings in their last game and they covered for 48 minutes but the problem is that the game went to overtime which no underdog bettor ever wants to see and Sacramento was outscored 13-0 by the Cavaliers. That can leave a lingering sting but they have had time to get over it and with another marquee team in town, the Kings will be up once again. They are 10-4 at home and they have been solid in these spots, going a percent 9-0 ATS in their last nine games following a double-digit loss. The Lakers meanwhile are just 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a double-digit loss. Also, Sacramento is 10-3 ATS in its 13 games this season against teams averaging 99 or more ppg. 10* Sacramento Kings
MR EAST
NBA SATURDAY UNDER THE RADAR
SAN ANTONIO SPURS @ MILWAUKEE BUCKS
3 UNITS: MILWAUKEE BUCKS +3
The Milwaukee Bucks have been very tough at home vs the good teams in the NBA. They have faced 5 winning teams at home, the Lakers,Blazers,Nuggets,Mavs, and Magic. The results of those 5 games show 2 wins, and 3 losses by a combined 5 points! They have not lost to any of these teams by more than 2 points. The road has not been kind to the Spurs as they enter this one just 3-6. This also fits into what I call the 10/10 system, that says to play on teams revenging a 10 point or greater loss, off a game tey lost by 10 or more as a favorite. This system is now 103-58 ATS the last dozen years in the NBA. The Bucks are the play in this one.
ASA
4* North Carolina
Kikki-Sports Group
3* GOY Ohio U
2* GOM Oklahoma City
Alex Smart
10 Units GOY UNC + 3
LARRY NESS
TV Dominator Chicago
Given the Bulls history (they'd previously fired two coaches over Xmas) and due to a couple of trying recent losses, including having blown a 35 point lead vs. Sacramento, Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro had reason to be worried about his job over Christmas. Del Negro's job still isn't exactly secure but the fact that he lasted through Christmas is a minor vote of confidence. Either way, this is a good spot for his team to bounce back with a badly needed victory. Even after Monday's meltdown, the Bulls are still 8-6 at home. Now they'll face a Hornets team which can't win outside of New Orleans - the Hornets have the worst road record (2-11) in the entire Western Conference. The Bulls had their way with the Hornets last season. They won 107-93 at New Orleans last February. That was followed by a 97-79 romp at Chicago on 3/14. Listed as 2 point dogs, the Bulls led by 14 at halftime and cruised to the easy win. More of the same here with the Hornets road woes continuing for another day. *9 Chicago
The Suns enter tonight's game in Oakland on a six-game road losing streak while the Warriors will take an overall seven-game losing streak into the contest. The Suns ended a two-game home losing streak with a dominating 124-93 Christmas night win over the Clippers, as seven players scored in double digits and the Suns made 12-of-24 three-pointers. However, the Suns are 0-6 away from home since a 113-94 win at Toronto on November 29. After losing the first three games of their current road slide by an average of 21.3 PPG, the Suns have lost the most recent three games by a total of just 10 points. The injury-riddled Warriors are 1-5-1 ATS in their seven-game slide and used just seven players in their most recent game, a 108-102 loss at New Orleans on Wednesday. Center Biedrins (11.9-11.2 last year) is expected back for this game and that's great news for the Warriors. Azubuike and Bell may not play at all the rest of the season plus Moore, Turiaf and Wright all remain sidelined. However, the Warriors are getting excellent play from their backcourt, featuring Ellis (25.0-4.3-5.0), Morrow (12.1), rookie Curry (12.1-4.8 APG) and Watson (8.9). The frontcourt is 'thin' but Maggette (17.0-5.6) has been healthy, Randolph (11.4-6.5) has been consistent and Radmanovic (7.0-4.9) has been serviceable. The Suns welcomed sixth-man Barbosa (12 points) back last night and with good reason. Phoenix was 4-8 in the 12 games he missed, while with last night's win, moved them to 14-3 with him available. All five Phoenix starters average in double figures, led by Stoudemire (20.5-8.7) and Nash (18.1-11.3 APG). The Suns are the league's highest scoring team (109.0 PPG) and its best shooting one (49.5% FGs / 42.24% on threes) while the Warriors are allowing a league-high 111.8 PPG and 49.1% on FG attempts. Does that spell doom for Golden St in this game? Maybe, but I'm taking a shot with the Warriors who are well-rested while the Suns are traveling off last night's win and let's NOT forget the team's six-game road losing streak. If Biedrins plays, I really like the Warriors. Take the points.
GREAT LAKES SPORTS
4* Boston College
3* NORTH CAROLINA
4* Atlanta
3* New Orleans
3* Milwaukee
SAMMY JANKUS
Always play the OTHER SIDE of my game writeups.
N Carolina vs Pittsburgh
3* N Carolina +2.5
If not for back-to-back losses to end the regular season – by a total of just FOUR POINTS – Pittsburgh would be ranked in the Top 10 and playing in a BCS Bowl. Pitt’s ace in the hole is the Sporting News’ National Freshman of the Year, RB Dion Lewis, who rushed for 137 YPG, 5.5 YPR and scored 17 touchdowns. With North Carolina’s offense an erratic mess, the Tar Heels have little hope of trading points while Lewis keeps the chains moving all afternoon. I’m picking the Panthers by at least a touchdown – so your play is on NORTH CAROLINA.
Boston College vs USC
3* Boston College +7.5
What a humiliating season for the Trojans, ending the year with TWO SU home losses in their final three games! You can bet red-faced HC Pete Carroll will be working overtime to make sure his team regains its fire and purpose here. BC is a much better team playing at home (the Eagles’ two road wins this year came against ACC weaklings Virginia and Maryland) and Carroll versus first-year skipper Frank Spaziani is a coaching mismatch. I look for USC to salve the wounds of a disappointing campaign with a 20-point blowout tonight – so your play is on BOSTON COLLEGE.
Underground Sports Connection
100* Utah Jazz -8
Scott Spreitzer
NBA ROAD WARRIOR **GAME OF THE YEAR!**
I'm laying the points with the Spurs on Saurday night. I had the Spurs in their most recent game, an outright home loss to the banged-up and schedule-challenged Trailblazers. At no point in the game did San Antone look like they were going to win the contest, let alone cover a decent-sized spread. I didn't think anyone could be as "steamed" as I was following that game until I saw Gregg Popovich blow his stack. He was especially upset at the fact that his team couldn't secure a defensive rebound late in the game while trailing by two points. The Spurs had won six of seven games before losing to the injury-riddled Blazers. But as Manu Ginobili said, it's now time to beat a good team. Milwaukee is an "okay" team, but I don't quite agree with Manu's review of the Bucks. However, his statement means this team is preparing for this one in the right manner. Milwaukee enters the game 12-15 overall. That's a good sign for Spurs-backers. San Antone is 2-10 against winning teams, but have won 13 straight against sub-.500 squads. The Spurs crushed the Bucks, 112-98 in their November 23 meeting. They handled Milwaukee without any trouble, despite a mediocre game from Richard Jefferson, and Ginobili didn't even play. I had San Antone in that contest and stated that the Bucks were not as good as their 8-3 start indicated. They have since won just four of 16 games. The Spurs still don't have Matt Bonner, but it won't matter in this one. Keeping the Spurs focused will be their recent loss to Portland and the fact that Milwaukee has had success against San Antone over the last decade. The Spurs are also on an 80% winning spread run against teams with a losing record. It's "step-up" time for the Spurs, and I believe this team is ready to rock someone. The Bucks just happen to be the opposition. I'm laying the points with San Antonio, my Road Warrior Game of the Year. Thanks! GL! Scott.